Monday, May 30, 2011

MTA and Bridge Tolls #1111

High Paying PA Flacks Come Up With BS Answers for Leak

Port Authority says nearby construction caused Oculus leak (NYP) The roof is fine, the Port Authority insisted Saturday — instead pinning the blame on nearby construction which left corridors on the edges of the Oculus vulnerable to flooding. Much of the rainwater barreled through 3 World Trade Center, a still unfinished Larry Silverstein-owned tower south of the Oculus, the Port Authority said. The water flowed into an underground passageway connecting the tower to the oval-shaped hall and streamed from the mezzanine-level corridors onto the bottom floor of the Oculus. “Somehow water is getting into open areas of World Trade Center 3, leaking into Tower 3,” said Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman.

DELAYS Does the MTA Need to Use More of Its $$$ on Maintenance and Less On Grand Projects?

The price of a monthly MetroCard will jump to $121 from $116.50 on Sunday in New York City after a fare increase was approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in January, the Journal reports. *

A line tucked in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget calls for a $65 million cut to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority at a time when commuters are fuming over frequent delays, spotty service, overcrowding and fare hikes,the Daily News reports.

* After a long period of improvement, the New York City subway system’s reliability has dropped significantly, with delays more than doubling over the last five years, the Times reports. * Members of the MTA board have not reported their incomes and financial information, or have not updated them, despite a requirement to submit annual public disclosure reports each spring to the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics, the New York Post reports. * A national pro-Republican political action committee is preparing to ramp-up efforts to oppose Cuomo – not in expectation of his likely run for a third term next year, but with an eye to his potentially seeking the presidency in 2020, the Times Union reports.

Potential replacements has surfaced, including Pat Foye, who is currently Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive director to the Port Authority * After Victory Lap for Second Avenue Subway, M.T.A. Chief Will Retire (NYT) * After MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast confirmed he will retire, Cuomo said he will look at a replacement that has both transit and real estate expertise, which he said is needed due to the redevelopment of Penn Station, Politico New York writes.

In a major moment for New York’s transit system, the Second Avenue Subway opened in Manhattan on Sunday, with thousands of riders flooding into its stations to witness a piece of history nearly a century in the making, The New York Times writes.

Cuomo’s Second Avenue subway security is another jab at de Blasio (NYP) The Cuomo-de Blasio feud is heading underground for New Year’s. In what NYPD cops are seeing as a blatant dig at Mayor de Blasio, Gov. Cuomo is putting his own teams of MTA and State Police front and center at Saturday night’s grand-opening party for the new Second Avenue Subway. Sidelined will be the city’s own cops, who actually have to police the subway day-to-day. Cops from the 19th Precinct on East 67th Street also have been relegated to above-ground duties, helping attendees park their cars. “They’re turning over the keys to the MTA Police for this event, then they’ll unglamorously toss us the keys the next morning,” groused one police source. Cuomo is bringing scores of state-paid cops down the shiny new escalators with him for the “formal attire suggested” celebration, at which invited guests will take the inaugural ride on the new East Side tracks. *

Cuomo Got Us the 3 Stop 2nd Avenue Subway, The TWU Got Their Raises the Poor Riders Got the Bill

MTA Can't AffordNew Transit Workers Contract, Budget Watchdog Says (DNAINFO) As transit workers cheer a tentative contract agreement that would give them higher wage increases than the MTA wanted, a budget watchdog group warns the contract could mean higher fare increases for riders. The MTA raises fares by 4 percent every other year, for an average of 2 percent a year, in line with cost-of-living increases. The transit authority wanted to increase workers' wages by that same cost-of-living increment, but the workers' union, TWU Local 100, argued that such an increase only allowed workers to live paycheck-to-paycheck, not to save money

It is No Longer About What is Good for the Riders Its All About Buying Labor Piece for Reelection

Deal for more MTA fare hikes helps Cuomo avoid trouble (NYP Ed) The MTA’s new contract with the Transport Workers Union means 28 months of labor peace — but at what cost? TWU Local 100’s 38,000 city bus and subway workers scored 2.5 percent wage hikes — and new dental benefits — without making any concessions. Plus a “me-too” clause that lets the TWU reopen this contract if Long Island Rail Road workers win a bigger raise. That’s ludicrous. MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast calls the deal affordable. But The nonpartisan Citizens Budget Commission warns that “the settlement is more generous than the MTA’s financial plan provides and may require higher fare increases than planned.” Blame Gov. Cuomo, Prendergast’s ultimate boss. The deal avoids trouble for him before his re-election campaign ends in 2018. Added fare hikes down the line? Cuomo can likely escape blame — while leaving riders to pay the bill..

You won’t catch de Blasio on the Second Avenue subway for his morning commute (NYP) de Blasio said Monday that he won’t be commuting on the new Second Avenue subway because it’s not as convenient as his SUV in getting to his regular workouts in Brooklyn. Asked about his latest commute by subway, de Blasio said his morning trip from Gracie Mansion to Brooklyn and then to City Hall is logistically too complicated for mass transit.

It ultimately doesn’t matter whether the Second Avenue subway opens on time next month; what matters is that politicians don’t have a plan to build the rest of the line past the first three stations, the Manhattan Institute’s Nicole Gelinas writes in the Post.

Voters are just fine with Gov. Andrew Cuomo fighting President-elect Donald Trump’s administration from Albany, but they don’t want him running for president in 2020, a new poll shows, the Times Union reports.

* Cuomo’s public schedule had him in Buffalo at some point on Tuesday, and while his office is declining to say why the governor made the trip, sources say Cuomo is attending a fundraiser for his re-election campaign, The Buffalo News writes. * * The MTA is reassessing how it will develop the final 13 stations of the project amid criticism that its construction costs exceeded those of comparable undertakings around the world and that the first phase took decades too long, The Wall Street Journal writes.* With a sparkling toast, the new trains along Second Avenue on the East Side of Manhattan will carry an invitation-only group into the new year, including the engineers, city bureaucrats and elected officials who worked on the subway, The New York Times writes. * The Journal features a Q&amp;A with MTA Chairman and CEO Tom Prendergast where he explains balancing the cost of the new Second Avenue subway stations with size and aesthetics, saying “we don’t want customers to feel like they’re in a glorified basement.”

Remember When Gov's Mayor's and Other NY Elected Officials Were Held Responsible for Keeping Subway Fares Low Welcome $3 Dollar Fare

Advocates for New York’s Working Poor Push for Discounted Transit Fares (NYT) At a time when the city can seem unbearably expensive and the price of a subway ride is set to increase again, attention has turned to a cost that many struggle to afford: a MetroCard. * The MTA is proposing new subway fare hikes (NYP)* What’s fare is fair: Making transitaffordable for the poorest New Yorkers (NYDN) Fully abiding by a 2008 bailout compact — which we consider written in stone — MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast is seeking biennial fare and toll hikes pegged to inflation, which is under 4% Good going, Tom. Now, keep up your end of the bargain and see to it that service improves for all straphangers. Still, any increase is a tough pill for New Yorkers to swallow, with incomes flat and costs of living rising. The $116.50, 30-day unlimited MetroCards (likely rising soon to $121) and $2.75 base fare take an especially large chunk out of small family budgets, already crowded out by rent, groceries, heating and water bills and the like. The subway and bus system’s best fare deal is an unlimited pass. But it’s a hefty sum that the poor, living paycheck to paycheck, simply cannot afford. They more often than not have to dig deep and settle for a single-ride ticket, with no bus/subway transfer, at $3 a pop.* MonthlyMetroCards will jump up to $121 from $116.50 next year under MTA's fare hikeplans: (DNAINFO) WHAT ABOUT THE CITY'S SHRINKING MIDDLE CLASS What’s fare isfair: Making transit affordable for the poorest New Yorkers (NYDN) the city should, as proposed by the anti-poverty non-profit Community Service Society and the Riders Alliance, step up and subsidize a half-fare MetroCard for people at or below the federal poverty line: $11,880 for a single adult or $24,300 for a family of four.

$10 Billion Waste for Two Train Stations Could Have Gone to Extending Services to Millions or Keeping Fares Down

A MONUMENT TO WASTE: The Port Authority's $4 billion WTC boondoggle (NYDN Ed) Now, the transit hub is set to open, but there will be no official celebration. The governors of New York and New Jersey would sooner have pictures taken with Bernie Madoff than have any association with the worst public boondoggle in long memory. With feckless support from six New York and New Jersey governors, the Port Authority commissioned architect Santiago Calatrava to design a monumental station and then brought his scheme to fruition 10 years late at a cost of $4.4 billion — almost triple the amount originally estimated. To put $4.4 billion into scandalous scale, it cost only $2.4 billion to dig a 1.5-mile tunnel to extend the No. 7 train from Times Square to 34th St. and 11th Ave., as well as a large train terminal there. In 2008, then-PA Executive Director Tony Shorris drafted a plan to rein in costs. Soon, though, he was ousted. It was to open in 2006 and be completed in 2009. hus the Port Authority spent $4.4 billion on, literally, a white elephant that serves fewer than 50,000 passengers a day — at a time when the agency doesn’t have money to build a new bus terminal in Midtown.

Enough with theMTA’s multibillion-dollar bungling (NYP ED) The MTA deserves credit for its effective operation of the world’s largest, most complex mass-transit system. The same can’t always be said for the MTA’s record in contracting for major projects. Take East Side Access, which brings the Long Island Railroad into Grand Central Station. It’s years behind schedule and now, at about $11 billion, is projected to cost more than double its original budget of $4.3 billion. As The Post observed in its March 17 editorial, there’s already flooding and mold at the Hudson Yards No. 7 line station, part of a $2-plus billion new subway extension that opened less than a year ago. It’s more evidence that the MTA process for bidding and building transportation projects simply isn’t working. Contributing factors include a huge bureaucracy that can’t get out of its own way and the inflexible terms of union contracts, state procurement laws and federal-funding requirements.* Several MTA board members said they were frustrated they were not notified about leaks at the new Hudson Yards subway station, and one member suggested that the leaks harmed the agency’s reputation, The New York Times reports: * Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership forNew York City, writes in the Post that “there’s no excuse” for not trying out the governor’s proposal for having a new Design and Construction Corporation expedite big transit projects: * Leaks at Hudson Yards Station Frustrate M.T.A. Board (NYT) Members of the board were annoyed that they were not notified earlier about the problems at the $2.4 billion station on the Far West Side of Manhattan.* Data shows New York City subway trains ran 2 percent fewer miles lastyear than in 2009, but the system carried 12 percent more riders, which explains why the subway cars are more crowded, the Journal reports

De Blasio silent while the MTA screws over Harlem (NYP) The MTA released its revised five-year capital plan Wednesday — and the city got hosed. Especially Harlem. After months of sniping with Gov. Cuomo over how much the city should kick in to fix the MTA’s huge budget hole, Mayor de Blasio last week agreed to pony up $2.5 billion, way up from his offer of $657 million when the agency first came begging. But only now does the public learn the fine print on how the MTA is doing “its” share to close that hole. And the fine print is rotten. The MTA is slashing $1 billion from the planned $1.5 billion for the next phase of the Second Avenue Subway. That’s the phase that’s supposed to take the new line from 96th Street to 125th Street in Harlem. By contrast, the East Side Access scheme to bring the LIRR into Grand Central is still getting its full $2.57 billion.

* Calls for a new revenue source to fund the MTA only address half of the equation, ignoring growing costs of operating the transportation system, an approach that is like trying to outrun a train, the Manhattan Institute’s Nicole Gelinas writes: * Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez said pushing back the next phase of the 2nd Avenue subway construction “screamed of inequality,” and U.S. Reps. Charles Rangel and Carolyn Maloney expressed concern, too, the Timesreports: * The Post writes that New York City, and particularly Harlem, got “hosed” in the MTA’s capital plan, and de Blasio was silent after getting a “consolation prize” in the form of a study about extending the Utica Avenue line:* A $1 billion cut in funding by the MTA for the Second Avenue subway will force New Yorkers to wait even longer for the long-delayed project’s completion.* Mayor de Blasio Joins in Criticism of 2nd Avenue Subway Cuts (NYT) State lawmakers and transit advocates continued to urge the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to restore $1 billion in funding for the East Harlem leg of the Second Avenue subway.

The bitter public feud between Cuomo and de Blasio may have receded with the agreement on a new funding for the MTA capital plan, but the war between their aides continues unabated, the Post’s Fred Dicker reports: * In recent weeks, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (the amateur mechanic) and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (the determined driver) have discovered a newfound zeal for mass transit, dueling over which man would emerge a more vociferous champion of the people’s mode of transport. Their recently announced deal to fund the MTA’s capital plan is unlikely to end their long-running feud. * New York Citywill receive 1,000 new subway cars and 1,400 buses as a result of a $26.1 billion infusion of capital into the MTA over the next five years, which is good news for some upstate businesses.* De Blasio, Cuomo Far Apart at Columbus Day Parade Despite Recent Transit Agreement (NY1) * Republican Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan said he opposes the idea of borrowing to pay for the state's $8.3 billion commitment to fund the MTA's five-year capital plan, the Daily News writes: * Flanagan also said his conference will push to fund an “all-encompassing” capital plan that covers infrastructure needs across the entire state, Gannett Albany reports: * NYC Council Finance Committee Chairwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland offered cautious optimism about the recently struck deal to fund the MTA’s $26.1 billion capital plan, but also promised oversight of it during remarks to the Citizens Budget Commission this morning.* The Daily News writes that the MTA should bring backpolitical ads in the transit system after noting it has outsourced “consequential constitutional decisions” to a contractor who lacked logic in deciding which ads to reject:* MTA orders removal banks minimum wage hike subway posters (NYDN) * Cuomo Doesn’t Rule Out Borrowing For MTA Capital Plan (YNN) * The Times Unionwrites that threats from upstate legislators to block funding plans for the state’s portion of the MTA’s capital plan are misguided, as New York City contributes far more to the state’s tax levy than it receives in benefits:* The credit rating agency Moody’s described the New York City and state agreement to fund the MTA capital plan a “credit positive,” but said it had concerns about uncertainties over where the funding will come from, State of Politics reports: * The MTA’s ban on political advertising is a violation of free speech and has backfired on the agency, so the MTA should give up on restricting content and instead let all sides pay to get their messages out,the Post writes:

Tuesday Update The Cuomo administration is considering borrowing at least some of the governor’s $8.3 billion state commitment to the MTA, although Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said the money will come from the general budget fund, sourcestell the Daily News: * A $29 billion infusion into New York City's transportation network will go mostly to long-overdue repairs and upgrades, experts said, leaving the nation's largest city lagging behind modern systems around the world, TheAssociated Press reports: * Now that Cuomo and de Blasio have agreed to a deal to repair and improve the nation's largest transit system, they need to continue working together to modernize New York City’s subway system and make it work for millions of New Yorkers, The New York Times writes: * The agreement on a $29 billion five-year MTA capital plan is cause for modest celebration on Long Island, with promises of a state of good repair for Long Island Rail Road users and a 2022 finish of the LIRR's East Side Access project, Newsday writes: * New York State may borrow money to help fund $8.3B pledge for MTA capital project (NYDN)* Editorial: How not to spend the MTA's capital money (NYDN Ed) * Editorial: The MTA capital plan, finally (NYDN Ed) * New York Citywill receive 1,000 new subway cars and 1,400 buses as a result of a $26.1 billion infusion of capital into the MTA over the next five years, which is good news for some upstate businesses.* A Deal to Fix the Subways in New York (NYT) Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio finally agree on how to fund the M.T.A.* Given Cuomo’s record of raiding the MTA, de Blasio was right to press for a no diversion pledge and the governor was right to agree to it, the Straphangers Campaign’s Gene Russianoff and Riders Alliance’s John Raskin write in the Daily News:

Staffers for Cuomo and de Blasio described what one called a “fatally poisoned atmosphere” between their Karen Hinton, de Blasio’s press secretary and wife of Howard Glaser, the governor’s now-estranged former operations director.* Gov. Andrew Cuomo lauded the agreement between New York City and the state to fund the four-year MTA capital projects budget following a lengthy back and forth between his office and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s, Stateof Politics reports: * Cuomo and de Blasio didn't march together in the Columbus Day parade, but seperately both said their agreement to fund the nearly $30 billion, five-year capital program is a good thing, Politico New York writes: * Cuomo On The ‘Unprecedented’ MTA Deal(YNN) * De Blasio &amp; Cuomo kept their distance at Columbus DayParade despite recent agreement. (NY1) * Gov. Andrew Cuomo and de Blasio didn’t march together in the parade. “You know, I normally march, uh, alone,” the governor explained. * With separate news conferences at the same Manhattan event -the Columbus Day Parade – Gov. Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio yesterday promoted a deal struck over the weekend on funding for MTA infrastructure projects. * The Cuomo administration is considering borrowing to cover at least some of the $8.3 billion state commitment the governor has made to the cash-strapped authority, as well as to provide money to upstate roads and bridges.

Cuomo indicated that New York City and the state remain far apart on funding for the MTA’s capital plan, even as New York City officials have discussed increasing their contribution, the Times reports:

Subway Service and Fare Meltdown and de Blasio Blinks A Little Million

Latest transit unionad shows Bill de Blasio hopping the turnstile (NYDN) The ad from Transport Workers Union Local 100— its third in a month — that appears in the Daily News on Monday tells de Blasio to “Stop farebeating New York City’s working families.” The “farebeating” refers to calls from the TWU — as well as from Gov. Cuomo and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — for de Blasio to put in $3.2 billion for transit repair needs. The city has pledged $657 million.* With Cuomo pressuring de Blasio to allocate more than $3 billion for the transit system’s overdue capital plan, Transport Workers Union Local 100 is buying ads blasting the mayor, but the union’s complaint lacks credibility because of its track record and motives,Crain’s writes: * Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Thomas Prendergast's blaming of de Blasio for failing to properly fund the city’s subway system may come back to haunt him, as two riders injured last month are suing the city, the Daily News writes: * Train derailment victims use MTA-NYC funding feud in lawsuit against city (NYDN)*Two subway riders injured in last month’s G train derailment have filed noticesto sue for damages, alleging they were victims of a feud between the city and the MTA over the funding of repairs to the system.Anonymous labor leaderscame to the support of Mayor Bill de Blasio, defending him against attack ads run by the Transport Workers Union Local 100, who they say are doing Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s dirty work, theObserverreports:*Cuomo to de Blasio: Follow Bloomberg on MTA (Politico)

MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast suggested that if the de Blasio administration failed to provide more financial support, he might apply cuts to just New York City, rather than to services across the entire metropolitan region, Politico New York reports:* The Daily Newstakes a “childish” tone, writing that Cuomo, de Blasio, and MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast need to quickly solve their issues over whose responsibility it is to fund the MTA:

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s June declaration of war was something pundits and sources close to the Cuomo administration “say the governor desperately needed,” because he “comes alive when he is going for the kill.”* City’s new subway station shows what real mayoral vision means (NYP) * Gov. Andrew Cuomo, not de Blasio, is the one chiefly responsible for making the $27 billion MTA capital plan a reality — and he is the main reason it is more than nine months overdue, the Daily News writes: * * Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s unique and creative funding strategy to build the first new subway station in decades showed what real mayoral vision means, the Manhattan Institute’s Nicole Gelinaswrites in the Post: * Christie, Cuomo: We’ll find funding for half of Gateway rail tunnel cost (PoliticoNY) * Cuomo and Christie Say States Can Pay Half of Hudson Rail Tunnel Project (NYT) In a letter to President Obama, the governors urged the federal government to pledge grants to cover the rest of the $20 billion work.* In response to a proposal from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to pay half of the cost of new rail tunnels under the Hudson River, the U.S. transportation secretary said he would work with the two states, the Times writes: * Now that Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have committed to put $10 billion toward digging a new Hudson rail tunnel, the federal government must step up and make this a top national priority, the Daily News writes: * Construction of an urgently needed rail tunnel under the Hudson Riverbecame more likelyafter NJ Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Andrew Cuomo endorsed a plan for the two states and the Port Authority to cover half of the project’s expected $20 billion cost – as long as the federal government covers the other half. DelayBrand new subway station already plagued by delays (NYP) * It only took three days for the new Hudson Yards subway station’s honeymoon to end, as signal problems at the new, multibillion-dollar station snagged trains during Wednesday’s morning rush, the Post reports: * It is long past time Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie began serious discussions about a new tunnel under the Hudson River, and their next step should be to begin gritty negotiations on how to pay for the project, the Times writes: * The No. 7 subway line got the highest ranking for the frequency of its scheduled service and car cleanliness in the transportation advocacy group the Straphangers Campaign’s annual report, The Wall StreetJournal reports:Friday Bill’s bill comesdue for the MTA (NYDN Ed) As for de Blasio, he needs to prepare to substantially up the city’s contribution to the MTA without imposing new taxes. Cuomo is charged with funding the MTA’s $26.8 billion, 10-year plan for keeping mass transit in working condition, plus pay for mega-projects like the Second Ave. subway. But, after counting federal aid, the governor is more than $11 billion short. To break that nut, Cuomo has promised to draw $8.3 billion from still-unidentified sources and is dunning de Blasio for $3 billion — five times the $600 million the mayor had offered up. The mayor says he may agree to go higher if he is assured that the state’s commitment is real and is not set up in a way that could drive up fares. He also wants a voice in how the MTA spends the money. * 'COME FORWARD WITH A VISION': Mayor de Blasio wants Gov. Cuomo to show how state will use MTA repair funds to help New Yorkers before 'blindly' handing them over (NYDN) * Bill’s bill comes due for the MTA (NYDN Ed) As for de Blasio, he needs to prepare to substantially up the city’s contribution to the MTA without imposing new taxes. Cuomo is charged with funding the MTA’s $26.8 billion, 10-year plan for keeping mass transit in working condition, plus pay for mega-projects like the Second Ave. subway. But, after counting federal aid, the governor is more than $11 billion short. To break that nut, Cuomo has promised to draw $8.3 billion from still-unidentified sources and is dunning de Blasio for $3 billion — five times the $600 million the mayor had offered up. The mayor says he may agree to go higher if he is assured that the state’s commitment is real and is not set up in a way that could drive up fares. He also wants a voice in how the MTA spends the money.* De Blasio hinted that he might contribute billions for the MTA if it reduces fares, but said he would not do it “blindly” and that Cuomo must lay out a vision for the agency and guarantee funds will be used for improvements, the Daily News writes:

LIRR station announcers are making $200K a year (NYP) * The Daily News edit board says it’s up to Cuomo to fully fund the city’s transportation needs.* New York City officials suggest they are open to increasing some funding for the MTA, with the proviso they have more control over how it is spent. * It is Cuomo’s responsibility to lead the way on maintaining the transportation systems—subways, buses, commuter rail lines and bridges and tunnels—that keep the New York City region in motion, the DailyNews writes:

Tammany Hall Bill Like Boss Tweed Fights Progress Because of Payoffs From Owners of Outdated Services

Subways Were Delayed Because Boss Tweed Was Paid Off By Horse Bus Owners

Taxi Bosses Gave $550,000 to de Blasio's 2013 campaign

Bill de Blasio’s Uber obsession is a black mark on ‘progressivism’ (NYP ed) Mayor de Blasio just can’t quit attacking progress — no matter how lame his arguments get. Consider his latest slams at Uber, the app-based car service that (finally) offers New Yorkers an alternative to yellow cabs. Last week, de Blasio blasted the company for not charging the 50-cent MTA tax for cab rides — as if any business anywhere collects a tax it doesn’t have to. Anyway, Uber noted it “generates far more​ tax revenue” than taxis — thanks to sales tax averaging about $2 a ride. But the details don’t matter. The real point of de Blasio’s gripe was to renew his efforts to choke off competition to the yellow-cab industry — which, uh, gave $550,000 to his 2013 campaign.

Cuomo Send $$$ Not A Loan for Hudson Tunnels

Cuomo Protects Presidential Candidate Christie From Obama Trap

Cuomo Rejects Federal Offer to Lend Money for New Hudson River Tunnels (NYT) A loan to build the tunnels, estimated to cost billions, was “not viable,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said, urging the government to get money from the Obama administration or Congress. In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the offer of a loan to build train tunnels under the Hudson River was not viable, and asked for funding from Congress directly, *Two weeks after President Obama’s transportation secretary sent a letter to Governors Chris Christie and Cuomo asking them to meet about building a new cross-Hudson rail tunnel to replace the one now falling apart, Cuomo told reporters: “There’s no reason to meet now

* According to payroll data released by the EmpireCenter, one in four, or 21,352, Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees made $100,000 or more in 2014, which is more than double the six-figure earners in 2013, the Post reports* A healthy MTA is vital to the city’s future and Cuomo must take charge and curtail the agency’s rising payroll costs and decreasing service quality, especially given the $15 billion shortfall in the MTA’s capital * The MTA must be fully funded and a permanent solution for its long-term survival must be implemented because there is no more important transportation infrastructure in the country, writes Newsday

The MTA board could get three fresh faces from the de Blasio administration. And Cuomo’s two picks for the board — former top aide Larry Schwartz and Peter Ward, the New York Hotel &amp; Motel Trades Council — incensed transit advocates who wanted a reappointment of Allen Cappelli, a Staten Island attorney. * Cappelli had been awaiting news of the future of his seat on the board when a Staten Island Advance reporter informed him of the governor’s decision to replace him. “I haven’t heard from the governor’s office but if that is the case, it’s the governor’s prerogative,” he said. * Cappelli was a close ally of the governor’s father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, and worked in his administration.* De Blasio nominated nonprofit leader David Jones, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and advocate Veronica Vanterpool to the MTA board, while critics blasted Cuomo for dropping Allen Cappelli, the Daily Newsreports: *

New York's leadersdawdle as the subways crumble (NYDN Ed) With subway delays creeping ever upward and packed trains creeping ever slower, New Yorkers are getting a grim preview of where things are headed if Albany keeps starving the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for cash: Destination, commuter hell. The MTA says it needs to invest $32 billion over the next five years to shore up decaying infrastructure, modernize aging equipment and accommodate record-high ridership. It has just $18 billion in capital funding available — leaving a whopping $14 billion gap. And what are Gov. Cuomo and the Legislature doing to address this crisis for the mass transit system that’s critical to the region’s economy? Nothing — apart from punting the hard but unavoidable choices to an indefinite future. Without more money, the MTA can’t afford basic things like replacing signal systems that date back to the 1930s — let alone major expansions and upgrades. Without more money, trains will get even more crowded and steamy stations will get even more dingy and nightmare breakdowns will get even more commonplace. City pols who lack the vision and courage to back that sensible plan — from Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio on down — have a duty to offer a viable alternative, and now.* MTA wants to spend $32B to repair aging system (NYDN) * The Federal Transit Administration projected the Second Ave. subway could open in early 2017, mere months after the MTA’s December 2016 goal and much sooner than the February 2018 date originally estimated by federal officials, the Daily News reports:* MTA Chair Tom Prendergast is predicting "deep trouble" if state lawmakers can’t find a way to fully fund the authority’s capital plan, but a budget watchdog reports that the MTA often lags in state-of-good-repair spending anyway, Crain’s writes: * MTA Chair Tom Prendergast is predicting "deep trouble" if state lawmakers can’t find a way to fully fund the authority’s capital plan, but a budget watchdog reports that the MTA often lags in state-of-good-repair spending anyway, Crain’s writes: * Transit advocates push for new MTA subway cars — by having a funeral (NYDN)

NYT Ignores Albany's FU an Wants to Fuck the Outer Boro Residences With Tolls Over East River Bidges

New York’s Subway Madness(NYT) Anyone who has squeezed into a subway car recently in New York City knows in a very up-close and uncomfortable way that the city’s mass transit system is overloaded. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed this week that ridership has indeed soared. The system handled 1.75 billion rides last year — a number not seen since the late 1940s, when many fewer people drove.

That compares with just over a billion rides in 1980 and 1.3 billion in 2000. Yet parts of this network are more than a century old, and a $32 billion plan to restore, repair and generally upgrade the system over five years is short more than $15 billion. This problem falls squarely on Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who will have to find new revenues to expand and modernize a system that is vital to the city’s economy. When the city’s economy suffers, so does the entire state. * The Daily News writes that elected officials should “get on board” with The Move NY proposal for tolling free East River bridges, reducing fare on intra-city bridges and raising funds for the MTA: * Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and other borough politicians announced they are opposed to the Move NY plan to toll free East River bridges and reduce fares on intra-city bridges, the Daily News report

How Bill de Blasio’s guaranteeing future subway delays (NYP) In his budget, the mayor made a big deal about increasing the city’s annual contribution to the state-run MTA to $629 million over the next five years, from a planned $500 million. This money will pay for new subway cars and buses as well as some track work. But it won’t even pay for most of that work — which will cost $4.2 billion. It sure won’t help the MTA build something new, London-style. The MTA does want to start work on the next few stations of the Second Avenue Subway — but it doesn’t have a dime for the $1.5 billion it will cost over the next five years. The mayor’s new contribution doesn’t help here, since the MTA was already expecting it.* The MTA cleaned 3 percent of subway tracks within its self-imposed deadline and largely failed to meet station painting and cleansing goals, according to New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, the Journal reports

“I loved Underdog so much,” the mayor told Sen. Chuck Schumer during a subway ride from Brooklyn to City Hall promoting more federal transportation funding. It’s not clear how the series — which ran from 1964-67 and was in syndication until 1973 — came up in their conversation. The bizarre banter between the two powerful elected officials wasn’t enough to grab the attention of one woman who was engrossed in The Post’s Page Six inches from Hizzone. The straphanger didn’t glance up at the mayor — even when he and Schumer started speaking with Boston accents, again for reasons unknown. “Wicked fahhh,” de Blasio said. “Green Monstahhhh,” Schumer responded — referring to the enormous left-field wall at FenwayPark. * De Blasio still hasn’t read billion-dollar transit revenue plan (NYP) * SUBWAY SHUFFLE: Schumer, de Blasio ride R train to push for mass transit funding (NYDN) * De Blasio is pushing Congress for transportation funds, but he admitted he has not read the Move NY Fair Plan, which calls for tolls on the four East River bridge crossings and lowering tolls elsewhere,the Post reports:* U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said there is an urgent need for more federal railroad bridge inspectors, due to the combination of old infrastructure and stepped-up oil shipments, the Times Union writes: * The mayor has made the federal funding of transportation a cause in recent weeks, butisn’t entirely clear on what he plans to do about the $15 billion gap in the MTA’s $32 billion, five-year capital plan. * Advocates put out the comprehensive Move NY Fair Plan in mid-February, calling for tolls on the four East River bridge crossings in exchange for lowering ­existing tolls elsewhere. The mayor hasn’t yet read it.

The No. 7 train extension, originally slated for completion in December 2013, may encounter further construction setbacks, MTA officials said, Capital New York writes:* New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined other U.S. mayors in Boston to demand an increase in federal transportation funding for bridges, road and mass transit, The Wall StreetJournal reports:* Over the last 12 months, only 74 percent of subway trains arrived at their terminals at the end of the line on time. That’s down from nearly 81 percent for the prior 12-month period,according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority data. Total delays, meanwhile, soared 36 percent to nearly 43,000 per month. * Subway riders who have been waiting for a new No. 7 line station on the Far West Side of Manhattan for years will have to wait at least a little longer. The opening of the station, once planned for the end of 2013, is now likely to be pushed back until July.* Mayor de Cheapio: Stiffing poor of transit funds(NYP) With the opening of the No. 7 line extension just months away, Mayor de Blasio’s refusal to spend an extra dime of city funds to bolster the MTA’s capital budget...

A monthly MetroCard price will go up from $112 to $116.50, a single trip will rise from $2.50 to $2.75, and the weekly card goes up a buck to $31.Cash tolls on the Verrazano will go from $15 to $16. Staten Island residents who use E-ZPass for 3 more trips a month will see a 24-cent increase to $6.24 a trip. For crossings like the ThrogsNeckBridge and Queens Midtown Tunnel, cash tolls will go from $7.50 to $8. The MTA’s financial woes include a $15 billion deficit in its capital plan, which funds big projects like the Second Avenue Subway and bringing the LIRR to Grand Central. * The MTA, which faces a $15 billion deficit in its capital plan, will implement fare hikes for the subway, bus, railway and tolls this Sunday, which will bring in an additional $210 million this year, the Postreports * NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viveritosaid on CapTon last night that she is “open” to the Move NY congestion pricing plan, but did not take a declarative position. * While in Boston for a US Conference of Mayors meetingon federal transportation funding, de Blasio, an unabashed liberal, shied away from discussing The Boston Globe’s editorial calling on Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to run for president in 2016.

Election is Over Here Comes the Fare and Toll Hikes Pushing Middle Class Out of the City

New York added 17,000 jobs in low-wage industries in 2014 after the state’s minimum wage rose to $8 an hour, according toan analysis by the Fiscal Policy Institute.

Daily News Keeps Coming Up With Scams to Push Their Readers Out of the City

As the Middle Class and Mom and Pop Stores Close Throughout NYC the Daily News Wants to Put Tolls on the East River Bridges

Editorial: How to cut some tolls(NYDN Ed) Time to cross that bridge, New York. Time to toll the four long-free East River crossings. In its place rises a soundly considered scheme, known as Move NY, to bring sanity to New York City’s cockamamie bridge and tunnel cash-collections — and raise billions in desperately needed road, bus and subway funding. Kick the tires, Gov. Cuomo and legislative leaders, and then rise to the challenge of keeping this ever-more-clogged and crumbling city moving.* Gov. Cuomo does not think there is enough support for a congestion pricing plan with the public.*Slap ’em with summonses: The right way to enforce theVision Zero failure-to-yield law against bus drivers and others(NYDN) The far more effective and fairer way to change driver behavior would be for the NYPD to ramp up failure-to-yield summonses before anyone has been hit. Cops now issue an average of roughly 50 a day. Five hundred, with a concentrated public education campaign, might do the trick.

Replacing the 65-year-old terminal in Manhattan could cost at least $10 billion, and the project wouldn’t be finished before 2027. The short-term solution was to create a subcommittee to study the problem. Port Authority commissioners agreed that the agency’s bus terminal in Manhattan should be replaced, but they disagreed on five options for doing so, including three expected to cost $10 billion * Officials reject $9B Port Authority Bus Terminal revamp (NYDN) * Widespread problems across the subway system in recent weeks have left weary commuters waiting on crowded platforms, stranded inside stalled cars and scrambling to find alternate routes. With a fare increase set to go into effect on Sunday, riders across New York City are complaining of having to pay more when service is worse.* A spirited discussion broke out at the Port Authority board’s monthly public meeting during a presentation of five options for replacing the 65-year-old NYC bus terminal in Manhattan, three of which were projected to cost at least $10 billion and none of which could be completed before 2027. High Tax NYNew YorkState taxes wealthy residents more than any other place in the nation, with those earning $150,000 or more paying about 12.4 percent in taxes, according to a survey by WalletHub, the Post reports:

The MTA Was Created to Protect Elected Officials From Blame and It is Working in That Area Only

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Thomas Prendergast said he is considering redeploying token booth clerks, which comes a decade after 600 such employees were moved out of booths, the Daily Newsreports:

Straphangers saw an average of 43,339 delays per month last year on weekdays, compared with 29,774 in 2013, according to a report from a recent MTA committee meeting. Weekend delays shot up from an average of 6,917 in 2013 to 9,468 in 2014. Overall on-time performance also took a dive, with trains arriving on schedule 74 percent of the time last year — an 8 percent slide from the year before.Individually, the 6 line had the largest drop in dependability last year, falling 18.6 percent, arriving on-time just 54 percent of the time. The 2, 4 and 5 lines also performed poorly. Spin Alert The MTA said delays were also caused by work on Hurricane Sandy repairs and on other capital projects, as well as increased safety inspections.

Elected Officials Ignore MTA Debt Train Wreck - No Leadership

NYT Waits Until After the Election to Say That Cuomo Will Take the Blame of the MTA Funding Crisis

Thomas F. Prendergast said major construction plans and renovations for the system could be in jeopardy if a $15 billion hole is not addressed.

A Bumpy Ride for the M.T.A. (NYT Ed) New York City’s transit authority is facing real financial trouble. If its network deteriorates, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will most likely be to blame. The MTA simply “has a funding crisis,” he says. And it is a crisis that is not getting enough attention from Congress or — less understandably — from New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo. Every five years, the M.T.A. puts forth a plan for spending on such major items as tracks, signals, buses and subway cars. The latest budget, in October, called for an estimated $32 billion in capital outlays from 2015 to 2019. The M.T.A. said that it could find $17 billion on its own — including over $6 billion expected from the federal government, bonds, taxes and fares — but that it needed help for the remaining $15 billion. The state and city would seem obvious sources for much of this support. Mr. Cuomo, however, rejected the M.T.A. plan as “bloated” soon after it was submitted, even as some mass transit advocates regarded it as barely adequate. The governor’s latest budget gives the M.T.A. about $1.15 billion for these big projects over five years. * MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast sought to assure New Yorkers the agency would secure necessary funding, but warned that future capital plans were at risk if officials don’t reach a budget agreement, the Times reports: * M.T.A. Chief Tries to Ease Alarm on Budget Gap, but Warns of Risks to Projects(NYT) Thomas F. Prendergast said major construction plans and renovations for the system could be in jeopardy if a $15 billion hole is not addressed.* MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast said the next phase of the Second Ave. subway will be cut short if money isn’t found to fill the authority’s $15 billion capital plan funding gap,the Daily News reports:

Group Appears, Not Elected Officials to Close MTA 34 Billion Debt

Cuomo doubts viability of congestion pricing: Last time, he says, "it went nowhere," and nothing has "changed that political dynamic."

NYT says Cuomo should “help create a five-year capital plan that gives the M.T.A. some confidence about how to expand and maintain itself while he also finds the matching funds that upstate legislators will inevitably demand for bridges and roads in their constituencies.”

Cuomo and de Blasio must provide more fiscal support for the struggling MTA because without a strong five-year capital plan, the MTA will have to fall back on fare increases

He should help create a five-year capital plan that gives the M.T.A. some confidence about how to expand and maintain itself while he also finds the matching funds that upstate legislators will inevitably demand for bridges and roads in their constituencies. A short-term fix of a year or two is little more than a Band-Aid. Former Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch, who helped rescue the system decades ago, has been telling transit officials for years that the state needs to increase the state gas tax to help provide a reliable stream of financing for mass transportation. A citizen coalition known as MoveNY has recommended tolls on vehicles crossing four East River bridges that are now free and on drivers traveling across 60th Street in Manhattan — a form of congestion pricing. But that’s a longer-range approach. Without a strong five-year capital plan, the M.T.A. will have to fall back on fare increases. And those increases would have Mr. Cuomo’s name on them. * Fulton St. folly: MTA wasted $1.4 billion(NYP)Ten years and $1.4 billion down the drain — and they still couldn’t spring for a simple station map. The MTA’s gold-plated FultonCenter comically fails at its core mission...

The MTA has more debt than 55 countries, according to a new Straphangers Campaign analysis. The cash-strapped agency has $34.1 billion in debt it borrowed for capital spending to repair the subway system, starting in the 1980s. Worse, it may have to borrow another $15 billion for its next capital plan. “Heavy reliance on borrowing to fix transit is crushing riders like a packed subway car at rush hour,” said Gene Russianoff of the rider-advocacy group. Countries that have less debt than the MTA include Syria, with $30.1 billion, Cuba, with $28.9 billion, and Costa Rica, with $27.4 billion. * The MTAhas more debt than 55 countries, according to a new Straphangers Campaign analysis. The cash-strapped agency has $34.1 billion in debt it borrowed for capital spending to repair the subway system, starting in the 1980s. And it may have to borrow another $15 billion for its next capital plan.

The base fare will be raised from $2.50 to $2.75 on March 22, but bonuses for loading money on the cards will also be increased from 5 to 11 percent. The weekly MetroCard will go up from $30 to $31, and the monthly card will be increased from $112 to $116.50. Express bus fare will go up from $6 to $6.50. Commuter rail tickets will go up about 4 percent on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, depending on the line. Tolls will also increase about 4 percent on nine MTA bridges and tunnels, including the Verrazano-NarrowsBridge, Queens Midtown Tunnel, and RFKBridge. The Verrazano will go from $15 to $16 on the cash toll rate, and from $10.66 to $11.08 for E-ZPass.* 'UNBELIEVABLE': Straphangers upset with latest MTA fare hike, which will increase base fare from $2.50 to $2.75 in March(NYDN)*M.T.A. Is Raising Fares and Tolls; One Subway or Bus Ride Will Cost $2.75(NYT) MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast approved a 25-cent raise of the base subway fare to $2.75, a monthly card hike to $116.50 from $112 and a weekly card increase of one dollar to $31, along with a 25-cent EZ Pass increase for drivers, PIX11 reports:* A study from New York City’s Independent Budget Office found that the city's contribution to the MTA's capital budget has barely moved in the past 15 years, averaging about $100 million a year since 2000, the Daily News reports:

The MetroCard will be phased out in 2022, not in 2016 or 2017 as initially forecasted, while paying for New York City subways or buses with smart phones or bank cards could come by 2020, the Postwrites: MTA delays new payment system, extending life of MetroCards(NYP) Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials support hiking of the MetroCard’s base fare from $2.50 to $2.75 and increasing the bonuses on pay-per-ride cards in March, rather than keeping the same fare and ditching the bonuses, the Post reports:

MTA Unfunded Capital Plan

Port Authority won’t cancel overnight PATH service(NYP) * Late-night PATH service between New Jersey and Manhattan will not be cut soon, as the proposal has not been presented to the Port Authority board and would require detailed study if it were, The New York Times reports: * The MTA board on Thursday is expected to hit riders with a fare hike that will go into effect this March. Board members must approve one of two options MTA officials presented in order to raise revenue from fares and tolls 4 percent over two years. Riders will see fares go up 4 percent again in 2017.

Board members are expected to discuss a 4 percent increase across the system’s trains, buses, tunnels and bridges at a meeting this week. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority may raise New York City subway and bus fare to $2.75 and incrase prices for weekly and monthly passes, part of its effort to boost revenue by 4 percent next year, the Journal writes:* MTA considering twofare hike plans * Two months after the commission Cuomo charged with “reinventing” the MTA held its final meeting, its members say they do not know why their final report hasn not been released yet, Capital New York reports:

Just Wait Till Pension Contract and Capital Budget Costs Come Due

DiNapoli also released a report showing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s short-term financial outlook has been buoyed by the economy, but simply borrowing money to close the unprecedented $15 billion funding gap in its proposed five-year capital program could be costly for riders, WNYC reports: * MTA borrowing could mean major fare hikes(NYP) Straphangers could be hit with hefty fare increases if the MTA chooses to borrow billions of dollars to help pay for its transit improvement plan, a new report warns.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office found that every $1 billion the MTA borrows to help fill the massive $15.2 billion funding gap in its latest capital plan is equivalent to a 1 percent rate hike for riders. That means if the MTA were to rely solely on borrowing money from the government, it would have to raise fares and tolls more than 15 percent — bringing the price of a single subway or bus ride up to approximately $2.90. Fares are already set to rise by 4 percent every two years beginning in 2015.* The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s capital plan is filled with misplaced priorities, not focusing enough on needed repairs and renovations and not explaining where its funding will come from, the Citizens Budget Commission writes in a new report:

They spent $1.4 billion and devoted 12 years to building the FultonCenter subway station in lower Manhattan — and they can’t get the damn escalators to work. This does not surprise you, surely. Last Sunday, muckety-mucks aplenty gathered to celebrate the brilliance of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and public officials, including Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, in pouring all that money into an over-designed entryway reminiscent of suburban shopping malls.

Want to Bet Subway Fares Going Up

Why Are Pols Not Being Question On the Fare Hike During Their Campaigns?

DiNapoli also released a report showing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s short-term financial outlook has been buoyed by the economy, but simply borrowing money to close the unprecedented $15 billion funding gap in its proposed five-year capital program could be costly for riders, WNYC reports:

MTA borrowing could mean major fare hikes(NYP) Straphangers could be hit with hefty fare increases if the MTA chooses to borrow billions of dollars to help pay for its transit improvement plan, a new report warns. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office found that every $1 billion the MTA borrows to help fill the massive $15.2 billion funding gap in its latest capital plan is equivalent to a 1 percent rate hike for riders. That means if the MTA were to rely solely on borrowing money from the government, it would have to raise fares and tolls more than 15 percent — bringing the price of a single subway or bus ride up to approximately $2.90. Fares are already set to rise by 4 percent every two years beginning in 2015.* The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s capital plan is filled with misplaced priorities, not focusing enough on needed repairs and renovations and not explaining where its funding will come from, the Citizens Budget Commission writes in a new report:

In a report, the Citizens Budget Commission says the authority should improve the conditions of its existing transit systems, before moving ahead with the Second Avenue subway and other expansion projects.*

Pileup at the MTA(NYP Ed) This month a state review panel — in an unusual move — vetoed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $32 billion capital budget because the agency has no idea how to pay for nearly half the cost.

* Areportfrom state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli found that
only 51 of New York City’s 468 subway stations are free of defects and just one
in four had most or all of their station components in good repair, The Wall
Street Journal writes:http://goo.gl/mNwZpa

* The MTA has been randomly mailing out tens of thousands of free
MetroCards to handicapped riders to save money on Access-a-Ride trips, but no
oversight has led to rampant abuse, the Post writes:http://goo.gl/5qXdRQ

* As part of its upcoming capital plan, the MTA will buy 940 new
subway cars for its lettered lines and install cameras in them between 2015 and
2019, the Post reports:http://goo.gl/skCWya

* The Empire Center’s E.J. McMahon
proposes that Gov. Andrew Cuomo should use the $2.23 billion windfall
from the BNP Paribas deal to divert over $1 billion each to the MTA and
Department of Transportation capital plans: http://goo.gl/eX6zWO

* A new report shows that the MTA’s
post-9/11 security program has been pushed back until late 2017 because
of Superstorm Sandy, which caused salt water damage to security cameras
and fiber optic cable, the Post writes: http://goo.gl/q2GYcq* Cuomo should reject election year
pressure from Long Island Rail Road workers threatening a strike and
instead stand up to their demands—and could benefit politically if he
does, Nicole Gelinas writes in the Post: http://goo.gl/q3vTFs* Since taking over at the MTA, Tom
Prendergast has had a bumpy ride, and his second year as chairman
doesn’t look like it will be easier due to the contract dispute with the
Long Island Rail Road, Crain’s writes: http://goo.gl/Be7Fnq

* A
state review board rejected the MTA’s nearly $32 billion capital plan, which
includes a huge funding gap of nearly half its price tag, an agency spokesman
confirmed, the New York Post reports:http://goo.gl/6PslfH

* The New York City budget allocated
almost $2.8 million to outfit more than 100 bus stops with devices that
will show riders when the next bus will arrive, but riders with cell
phones already have access to that information, Crain’s New York
reports: http://goo.gl/t43cP7

Breaking Gov. Cuomo expected to announce deal to avert LIRR strike

Six days before a possible Long
Island Rail Road strike, negotiations appeared to collapse, as the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority acknowledged “a gulf” with its
unions, and labor leaders said they would proceed with plans for a
walkout, The New York Times reports:
* Mayor Bill de Blasio is not sure if
he will cut his Italian holiday short if Long Island Rail Road workers
make good on their threat to strike, and is “confident” in the
contingency plan for dealing with the strike, the Daily News reports:Unions negotiating with the MTA say talks aimed at avoiding a walkout at the nation’s largest commuter railroad have collapsed, and a strike is now likely this weekend. If there is a strike, getting from Long Island into Manhattan by car will be nearly impossible. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio wouldn’t say if a strike would delay his Italy trip, which is scheduled to start Monday.

It's been a bumpy ride for Thomas Prendergast, head of the world's
largest transit system: three derailments, two labor negotiations, a
power failure, employee and commuter fatalities, megaproject delays, a
budget battle and persistent aftereffects from Superstorm Sandy. And Mr.
Prendergast's second year as chairman and chief executive of the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority doesn't look any easier. [Crain’s New York Business]

Plus: The MTA has added service to the G line during morning and afternoon rush hours. [NY1]

* MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast said
he was disheartened that a federal mediation board shot down the MTA’s
current Long Island Rail Road contract offer, which was modeled after
the contract reached with the Transport Workers Union, Newsday writes: http://goo.gl/nVHw3S

* A federal mediation panel again sided
with Long Island Rail Road workers unions in their negotiations with
the MTA for a new contract, marking the second time in six months an
Obama-appointed board has done so, Newsday writes: http://goo.gl/GLnvVk

* Vincent DeMarino, a top MTA security
chief, quit last week amid an investigation into alleged nepotism and
cronyism, while Deputy Chief Ralph Misiti also is reportedly being
investigated by the Inspector General for similar alleged acts of
favoritism, the New York Post writes: http://goo.gl/XQRjNp

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority may be required to extend the
MetroCard’s expected life beyond 2020, according to a presentation made
on Monday to members of the authority’s board.

* Despite hopes of phasing out
MetroCards as early as 2012, the MTA may need to extend the use of
MetroCards beyond 2020, though officials are looking to begin phasing in
a new payment system by late 2016 or early 2017, the Times reports: http://goo.gl/rBSFYn

* Sources say former Long Island Rail
Road president Helena Williams’ advocacy for Long Island as a critic of a
plan to link the Metro-North Railroad to Penn Station contributed to
her losing her job, Newsday reports: http://goo.gl/tAM0St

Chief Financial Officer Robert Foran said rising pension, healthcare, debt payments and other costs necessitate hitting up mass transit riders and drivers using MTA bridges and tunnels for another $424 million in 2015, and $520 million in 2017.

The MTA may be going your way, but it can't go on living in the past, according to Gov. Cuomo. The governor on Wednesday directed MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast to assemble a "Transportation Reinvention Commission" to examine the agency ahead of the development of a capital plan, I report. "Let's face it, the MTA needs every bit of help it can get – especially the time and attention of the Governor and State legislature, who holds the MTA's fiscal future in their hands," said the watchdog Straphangers Campaign.

* The New York City subway system is becoming more delay-prone, according to a Straphangers Campaign analysis
of MTA delay alerts, which shows the number of delay-generating
incidents jumping 35 percent between 2011 and 2013, Capital New York
reports: http://goo.gl/71DejU

* Metro-North and Long Island railroads
plan to speed up the implementation of an advanced rail safety system
by spending $11.3 million to adapt 1,310 train cars for it within three
years, The Journal News reports: http://goo.gl/IJlyKM

* A federal mediation panel will meet
with the MTA and Long Island Rail Road unions for a second time since
November to try to reach a new labor deal that would stave off a
possible strike this summer, Newsday reports: http://goo.gl/l6NEey

* Top Cuomo aide Howard Glaser sent a
letter to the MTA calling for the agency to review its advertisement
standards following complaints from riders about new subway ads for
breast augmentation, the Daily News reports: http://goo.gl/qxPtKf

* The engineer of the Metro-North train
that derailed in the Bronx in December has sleep apnea, according to
documents released by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Post
reports: http://goo.gl/Kmj7r4

* A federal review of the Metro-North
Railroad found it is part of a “deficient safety culture” that values
on-time performance at the expense of riders and workers, The New York
Times reports: http://goo.gl/6Q5Uqm

* Outgoing Metro-North President Howard
Permut says the December derailment in the Bronx will affect him for
the rest of his life, but he has pride in the growth and operations of
the railroad, the Journal News writes: http://lohud.us/1dcAbmw

Subway BreastsMTA officials agreed to reconsider their advertising standards after a top aide to Cuomo objected to a cleavage-baring ad for breast enhancement.

* The MTA plans to announce a set of
new safety efforts, including the creation of a safety committee and a
senior management position that will report directly to the MTA
chairman, the Journal News reports: http://lohud.us/1fgNaRW

*
Mayor Michael Bloomberg will announce a five-year extension of the East
River ferry service, though fares for weekend service will increase
from $4 to $6 and winter weekend service will decrease as well, Crain’s Insider reports * Utah senator slashers commuter tax break for NYers(NYP) Straphangers will now only be able to shield $130 of their income every
month from taxes to subsidize their train and bus fares — a steep plunge
from the $245 they can currently keep tax-free. After the Senate failed Thursday to pass a larger package of tax
benefits that include tax relief for commuters, Schumer tried to extend
it alone through a move that can have a bill quickly passed if all
Senators agree to it. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch quickly objected and kicked it down to next
year so that the financial committee could address all of the tax
benefits together. * Mass transit users who pay more than
$130 per month will lose part of their commuter tax deduction Jan. 1
because federal lawmakers haven’t renewed the current deduction. That
could affect some 700,000 New York commuters, the Journal News writes: * What’s Missing From The No. 7 Line Extension(NYO) * The Daily News writes that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority should ask for another review of
its dispute with Long Island Railroad workers looking for a raise,
which, if granted, would drive up costs across the MTA’s system:* Where’s the money train? (NYDN) Congress fails to act and transit commuters get smacked * Mass-Transit Commuters Face a Hit(WSJ)

__________________________________________________________

MetroCard Going the Way of the Subway Token, Soon-ish http://nym.ag/1cZoUqDDead Run TrainCuomo wants
the Metro-North Railroad to expand to New York City’s Penn Station
following recommendations made in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

Signals Upgraded for Curve in Track Where Metro-North Crash Occurred(NYT) Operators nearing the area, just north of Spuyten Duyvil station, will be warned of a reduced speed limit, and the train will brake automatically. Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it had upgraded its signal network to warn operators as they approach the sharply curved section of tracks in the Bronx where a Metro-North train derailed last weekend* A federal safety agency says the technology known as positive train control would probably have prevented the Dec. 1 train derailment that killed four people in New York.Metro-North engineer jumps the rails — and gets job back(NYP) After an engineer’s alleged dozing caused a derailment last Sunday that killed four people, a Post investigation found that dangerous train drivers get little more than a slap on the wrist by the agency.

MTA to Brake on Fares(WSJ) * Cuomo vetoed bills that would order
the MTA to hold more hearings before raising fares and place public
transportation funds in a “lock box” that couldn’t be tapped for other
functions, calling the measures unnecessary and restrictive, Newsday
writes: http://bit.ly/1gQOv81

Get on the money train(NYDN Ed)
Take the subway, commuter rail or bus to work? We thought so. Dislike wasting money? You don’t say!
This one’s for you. Hanging in the balance in Washington is a measure that could soon cost
thousands of mass transit commuters across New York City, Long Island,
New Jersey and Connecticut a $500 annual tax hike (and the same for
other transit riders nationwide). A lot of grocery money will come out
of a lot of pocketbooks and wallets starting in just over a month —
unless Congress and the President get off their collective duff. * In the Post, the Manhattan
Institute’s Nicole Gelinas crunches the numbers on the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority’s 2014 budget, noting that the MTA’s fire hikes
“magically” appear after Cuomo’s 2014 re-election campaign: http://bit.ly/1bTOvhROn Oct. 24, 5,985,311 subway rides were taken
in New York City – the most in recorded history, according to an
internal memo prepared by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last
week.

* The Metropolitan Transportation
Authority plans to use eminent domain to take over the ground floor of
an Upper East Side condo building in order to build a Second Ave. subway
entrance, the Daily News reports: http://nydn.us/1e3htPg

2/2/2013

Subway ‘shut’ threat(NYP)It may soon take more than a MetroCard to get into some overcrowded subway stations. The
MTA has told community leaders in Midtown Manhattan that it could one
day be forced to follow London’s policy of shutting subway entrances for
short periods to ensure safety if it can’t secure funding to improve
passenger flow at the most congested stations.

The CBC could care less how the 74,000 more New Yorkers fell into poverty last
year come up with the money to pay for the 21% increase in transit increase they are calling for. The City Council limits their attempts to help the poor to programs like
minimum wage and sick pay which are good to keep the troops in line but
in realty help few poor and non of the city growing unemployed now
close to 10%.

The Post decries the rising cost of
transportation workers’ pension and health care programs and blames it
as the reason behind a pending fare hike

Paying for TWU pensions(NYP Ed) The NYP says that growing pension costs combine those costs with debt-service spending — responsibility for
which traces back to the Pataki years — and the inevitability of fare
hikes becomes apparent.

NY Media Leading From Behind

Read the Important News First In True NewsAnd Watch the Tweety's Follow Our Lead - Wag the Dogs

1. Yesterday True News Hit Subway Hike

We Need An New Edition of Jacob Riis 1890 Book How the Other Half Lives

Take the subway, commuter rail or bus to work? We thought so. Dislike wasting money? You don’t say!
This one’s for you. Hanging in the balance in Washington is a measure that could soon cost
thousands of mass transit commuters across New York City, Long Island,
New Jersey and Connecticut a $500 annual tax hike (and the same for
other transit riders nationwide). A lot of grocery money will come out
of a lot of pocketbooks and wallets starting in just over a month —
unless Congress and the President get off their collective duff. * In the Post, the Manhattan
Institute’s Nicole Gelinas crunches the numbers on the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority’s 2014 budget, noting that the MTA’s fire hikes
“magically” appear after Cuomo’s 2014 re-election campaign: http://bit.ly/1bTOvhR

We Need An New Edition of Jacob Riis 1890 Book How the Other Half Lives

The CBC could care less how the 74,000 more New Yorkers fell into poverty last
year come up with the money to pay for the 21% increase in transit increase they are calling for. The City Council limits their attempts to help the poor to programs like
minimum wage and sick pay which are good to keep the troops in line but
in realty help few poor and non of the city growing unemployed now
close to 10%.

MTA NepotismMTA-exec dad's subway safety lies(NYP)The assistant head of the MTA's signals division, Patrick Sohan, was suspended after getting his unqualified son a job working on subway signals by submitting phony credentials,

NYP Says Cuomo Next Trick Will to Find An New MTA Chairman Who Can Win Affordable Transit-Union Contracts

The Times urges Cuomo ("who, incidentally, commutes from Westchester to Albany by car or plane") to take charge of the MTA by finding the best possible person to replace Chairman Jay Walder and supporting new revenue from the city, the state, car drivers and businesse

During the 60's, 70's and early 80's the symbol of decay driving business and people out of the city was the subway. The delay, broken trains, dirty stations, homeless not to mention the graffiti sent a message that the city downfall was our of control. Now after two decades of an complete makeover that worked, signs are pointing to a return to the subways bad old days. New Yorkers know that the subway are the life blood of the city. They also know like any good doctor that once those veins become deceased the body will soon die. New Yorker have been watching a state government which would drain even the most hopefu, fail to save the MTA from Doomsday Cuts. Now after the state bailout that raised taxi fees and taxes to freelance workers the state last week poured oil on the fire when it grabbed $143 million from the transit agency to fill its own massive budget gaps. The broken promises did not end with the elected officials Two weeks ago the new MTA chairmanJay Waldertold us there would be no fare hike in 2010. Now with the crap Albany put in place just 7 months ago, increasing everything from rental cars to cab fees and adding a payroll tax to save the MTA from doomsday service cuts, we are told they did not raise enough cash. The MTA needs a bailout from its bailout and the MTA looks to slash many bus routes, cut W, Z subway lines. We have not even talk about the fact that the 25 billion capital budget the MTA needs to keep the subway in good condition is unfunded. On May 4th after the failed bailout plan was announced GOV: LET'S DEAL WITH MTA CAPITAL BUDGET LATER * Molinaro on the M.T.A.: 'We're Screwed' , 2nd Avenue Subway Sickness? Will the subways decline again and trigger another mass exodus of the city? This time we not only have to deal with service cuts. We have to deal with a state government and MTA that the public no longer believes is telling the truthMaybe the MTA should hire lucky Leo to raise revenue?Man Makes $45K Yearly on Discarded Betting SlipsClueless Subway Goo GoosDon't Help How in the world can good government group leader and media star Gene Russianoff say the best thing to happen to the MTA was the bailout when we now know the bailout has failed, the 25 billion capital budget is unfunded and the raise in fees and taxes are driving business and the middle class out? Best and Worst in NYC Transit in 2009 , Dilan to MTA: Keep me in the loop, or else , Nicole Gelinas suggests service cuts that hit key state lawmakers' districts.

Nighttime riders in big sit fit 'Space hogs' $lapped on empty subways. Maybe the mayor can loan the foot rests on his private airplane to this tax payer hard worker so he does hit for a third ticket. The NYP attacks Quinn who want to make up the budget shortfall by tapping into the MTA capital budget. It defends the city's billion dollar extension of the number 7 line by saying cuts in building new stops will do the same kind of damage as

maintenance cuts during the 70's lead to poor service. If the MTA melt down continues you can bet the number 7 train and 2nd Avenue extension (mostly know for killing businesses along 2nd ave) will be on the chopping block or subject to cuts in funding which will delay

Bloomberg Improves his MTA Economic Forecasting Abilities Since the campaign billionaire seem to have sharpened his MTA budget forecasting skills, he now see the structural multi years problem with that agency. During the campaign he thought there was enought money to pay fo free crosstown bus service, even with the rejection of his revenue generating but not to popular in the outer boroughs congesting pricing plan. Mayor Proposes Free Crosstown Buses - NYTimes.com Now the campaign is over the Mayor got his economic grove back. On his weekly radio show Bloomberg said "People are screaming about what they do now; wait until they see what happens in March," Bloomberg told WOR's John Gambling, reiterating that this all probably could have been avoided if Albany had seen fit to go along with his congestion pricing plan. We suggested it two years ago," the mayor said. "And I don’t know the MTA would have had all its problems solved, but it would have a lot of money and could have used most of that to get more bus lines, make the subways run faster, make the subways safer." Will the MTA Destroy NYC?

Broke MTA making money any way it can? A Brooklyn waiter returning home in an empty subway car at 2:30 in the morning was hit for the second time with a $50 fine by cops who said they were told to write tickets. Nighttime riders in big sit fit 'Space hogs' $lapped on empty subways. Maybe the mayor can loan the foot rests on his private airplane to this tax payer hard worker so he does hit for a third ticket. The NYP attacks Quinn who want to make up the budget shortfall by tapping into the MTA capital budget. It defends the city's billion dollar extension of the number 7 line by saying cuts in building new stops will do the same kind of damage as

maintenance cuts during the 70's lead to poor service. If the MTA melt down continues you can bet the number 7 train and 2nd Avenue extension (mostly know for killing businesses along 2nd ave) will be on the chopping block or subject to cuts in funding which will delay there completion.Don't Mug the Subways (NYP Ed)

New MTA Tax Closes Small Businesses
How does the new MTA tax help small businesses? We have over 10% unemployment and massive budget deficits in the MTA, city and state budgets so lawmakers are coming out with ways to raise dollars to pay the bills. The problem with these new taxes is that put small business our of business not to mention that the hurt the change of attracting new business to move here or start up here. And why did Albany have different due dates for the MTA tax it just add more work for everyone MTA payroll tax due date bad timing for Democrats

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

MTA Spins New Programs to Get the Public and Media Mind Off of Serious Service Cuts

MTA Spins New Programs to Get the Public and Media's Mind Off of Serious Service Cuts

MTA spin doctors are working overtime to pump out positive stories before the June 27th bus and subway cuts. The media looking for stories because their own budget crisis has cut the number of writers; has printed every MTA positive spin press release or event. While staying away from stories that ask New Yorkers the effect of the cuts which takes some reporting.

MTA bigwigs ignored the little people who pay their salaries(NYDN Ed)Board members skipped fare-hike hearings. MTA board members Mark Lebow, Andrew Saul and former Gov. David Paterson each
attended only a single hearing, with a Paterson aide offering as an
excuse that hearing times conflicted with his radio program. Answer:
Call in a substitute host or give up one of the gigs. Charles
Moerdler, caught recently abusing an MTA parking placard,
turned up just twice to hear out people who actually ride the subways.
Well known for pomposity, Moerdler blamed — who else? — straphangers
for causing him to be a no-show. He declared the hearings to be a waste
of time because few people showed up to testify. Gee, wonder why.

.

20 Years After the Start of Metrocards, Why Do We Still Have Sleeping Token Clerks?

MTA “lockbox” bill awaiting Cuomo’s signature

Feds Concerned Over the Recent High Turnover of MTA Managers

MTA honchos jump tracks
Top managers on mega-MTA projects -- who haven't had raises in four
years -- are bolting at an alarmingly high rate, leaving crucial
positions vacant and prompting concern from federal regulators.(NYP)

Union Politics And Rising Pension Costs How Will the New MTA Contract Rise the Fare?Union Politics Ensnarling MTA Talks(WSJ) The MTA and its largest union on Friday held contract talks
for the 15th time this year, an unusually slow pace that has prompted
criticism of the labor organization's president.

For
years, Metropolitan Transportation Authority construction and
planning schedules have pegged November 2012 as the time for the opening
of a new underground connection between the Fulton Center subway
complex at Broadway in lower Manhattan and the Cortlandt St. station on
the eastern edge of the World Trade Center site. Workers are now putting
the finishing touches on the passageway, which cost more than $200
million to build. Known as the Dey St. Concourse, the subterranean
walkway will feature a
wall of giant video screens, some providing travel information, some
displaying advertising. The turnstile banks are in place. The bright
lights are installed and shining. A ribbon-cutting should not be far
away. Yet transit officials now say they plan to keep the Dey St.
Concourse padlocked — for several years. The official reason: Few riders
will make use of the free transfer. The demand, officials say, will
come when the new office towers being
built at Ground Zero are completed and occupied, and the Port Authority
finishes its permanent — and extravagant — PATH hub. That’s will be in
2015. Maybe. “The small number of people we believe would use the
transfer...does not
justify the expense of opening, maintaining and policing the passage,”
MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg explained.

The Metropolitan Transportation
Authority has netted almost $11 million in added revenue since
implementing the $1 fee for plastic MetroCards and expects to print 60
million fewer next year, the Daily News writes

__________________________________________________________________________________Subway Trains With Not Doors

Signals Upgraded for Curve in Track Where Metro-North Crash Occurred(NYT) Operators nearing the area, just north of Spuyten Duyvil station, will
be warned of a reduced speed limit, and the train will brake
automatically. Metropolitan Transportation
Authority said it had upgraded its signal network to warn operators as
they approach the sharply curved section of tracks in the Bronx where a
Metro-North train derailed last weekend